The Theory and Practice of Strategic Environmental Assessment Towards a More Systematic Approach

About this book

Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a fast-growing and rapidly evolving professional field driven by advances in theory and method, as well as by regulatory requirements in Europe, North America, Australasia, South Africa and, increasingly, across Asia.

This textbook, the first of its kind, provides for a state-of-the-art review of SEA theory and practice, promoting a more systematic approach to SEA. It is written for a broad audience of professionals and academics, and aims particularly at supporting the development of SEA modules in undergraduate and postgraduate planning, environmental assessment, engineering and law courses. It provides an overview of the fundamental principles and rules of SEA, reports systematically on international SEA practice and theory, and pushes the envelope by developing the theory. Supporting material includes boxed examples and case studies from around the world, extra reading suggestions and a glossary of terms.

Contents

Preface; * What is SEA?; * SEA Process, ethos and Techniques; * Identifying Issues and Alternatives to be Addressed in SEA - The Importance of a Tiered Approach; * Comparative Review of Established International SEA Systems (California, Western Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Finland); * The European SEA Directive - Its Transposition and Implementation in 25 Member States; * SEA Case Studies from Spatial/Land-Use Planning; * Summary and Conclusions; * References, Appendixes, Index.

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Biography

Thomas B. Fischer is a reader in the Department of Civic Design at Liverpool University, UK, chair of the SEA section of the International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA), author of SEA in Transport and Land Use Planning (2002) and co-editor of the Handbook of SEA (2007).